Petition from inhabitants of Granville County concerning church buildings

Hampton, John; Et Al.

1771

Volume 09, Pages 95-97

[From MS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]

To the Honble the Speaker & Gentn of the House of Representatives

The Petition of the Inhabitants of Granville County & the Parish of Granville Humbly Sheweth that your Petitioners have for a Considerable time Labour'd under a Heavy & Burthernsome Tax whch the Exegencies of Government Hitherto made Necessary & unavoidable & still Apprehending that the Suppression of the Insurgents & other Contingent Charges of Government, have Inevitably Created a Large & Weighty Debt which the Honour of the Province is Ingag'd to pay with all Convenient Speed and which Your Petitioners are Ready & Willing to Discharge their proportion of, by such mode of Taxation as the wisdom of your honourable [body] shall Direct, Your Petitioners further shew that the Vestry of their Parish without duly Considering the Present Circumstances of Government & the heavy Taxes yt Shortly must be assessed upon Your Petitioners Have Engaged with Workmen to Build two Churches in their Parish the Expence of which will amount to upwards of Twelve Hundred pounds. Your Petitioners are by no means able at this Juncture to Discharge such a Considerable Sum, altho upon any future Occasion After the Demands of Government are Comply'd with they wou'd Chearfully Contribute all in their power to have done whatever their Duty as Christians or the Interest of Religion may Require of them. Under these Circumstances Your Petitioners Pray that an Act may Pass to Releav the Vestry from the Engagements they have Entered into as aforesd & as the Workmen who have undertaken the sd Buildings are willing to be Releas'd on their parts upon being paid a Small Gratuity for their Disappointment & Trouble Your Petitioners further pray that by the sd Act they may be Released from the Penalty of the bond by them Given for the Performance of their undertaking & that the Vestry may be Impower'd

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to lay a Sufficient Sum in the Parish Levey to be paid as a Compensation to these Workmen for the Trouble they have been at as aforesd & Your Petitioners also further Pray that the Inhabitants of the sd Parish may be Releas'd from the Payment of So much of the Parish assessment as was Laid for Carrying on & performing the Building the Churches as aforesd and the Collector Indemnified for not Collecting that part of the assessment as aforesd and Your Petitioners as in Duty bound Shall ever Pray &c